


SHANCE WEEK

by noxiousSanctity



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Bad Ending! Shance, DAY EIGHT FIXES IT I PROMISE, Implied Torture, Insecurity/Confidence, M/M, Pining/Confession, SHANCE WEEK SHANCE WEEK, Singer! Shiro, TAGS WILL BE ADDED ON, Thief! Lance, cop!shiro, hero/villian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-30 12:44:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8533570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxiousSanctity/pseuds/noxiousSanctity
Summary: SHANCE WEEK





	1. Pining/Confession

**Author's Note:**

> Fuckign love Shance

“So.” Keith prompted one day. “You’re gay for Shiro, huh?”

            If Lance had any food in his mouth at that moment, he would have promptly spit it the fuck out all over the floor, instead, he just gaped at the red paladin who simply had a hand on his cocked hip and eyebrow raised as if he were talking about the weather. “I- _what?_ ” Lance managed to hiss out. Not a good response, but it managed to get the point across.

            “You. Gay for Shiro. Bisexual in general, but just really gay for Shiro.” Keith took a step forward and Lance swallowed nervously. “I mean, everyone can see it, Lance. Even Coran had to say something.”

            No way. “No way.” He echoed his own thoughts. “What’d he say?”

            Keith’s grin that flashed across his face in an instant was much like his speed: sharp, merciless and unforgiving. “So you _do_ like him. Thought so.” _Shit._ “I’m surprised it was actually that easy. So, you gonna do anything about it?”

            “Um? No?” Lance flailed his arms in the air like one of those inflatable car things they have at car lots. “The fuck? We’re in the middle of a galactic war? That’s possibly the worst timing in the history of bad timing, and I’m pretty sure Coran would agree with me, if he knew about this.” Lance narrowed his eyes. “Which I am _sure_ he does not. Right, Keith?”

            Keith shrugged, almost as if the sly look on his face could be nonchalant on any fucking day of the week. “I’m sure that Coran doesn’t know. Shiro, however…” He pulled out a tiny communicator, an exact replica of the one Allura gave the Arusians, out of his pocket, the light flashing the blue hue of Altean Technology. “…He might know a thing or two about it.”

            Lance’s eyes dropped to the small piece of alien tech and his heart promptly dropped to his feet. “You motherfucker.” Lance said in an almost eery quietness. “I cannot believe- with my own _two eyes-_ Mother above, how do I delete other people? How do I delete myself?”

            It seemed the universe either did not have an answer, or simply did not care, as the man in question entered through one of the rooms in the hallway (They were by Shiro’s room; how the _fuck_ did Lance forget that they were near Shiro’s fucking room. He played himself) as the blue paladin hid his face in his hands, resigning himself to the death that was humiliation by his crush turning him down in public.

            “Hey, Lance.” Shiro murmured, and if Lance could see him, there’d be an absolutely beaming look on the leader’s face, but Lance was a stubborn arsehole, and he couldn’t see it. “You wanna look at me for a second?”

            “Sorry.” His voice was muffled into his hands, but Shiro could still vaguely hear him. “Lance is in Sweater Town Right now, please leave a message at the tone. Beeeeeep.”

            Keith and Shiro shared a look, Keith’s eyes clearly portraying _The things I do for you two_ before he grabbed Lance by the wrists and yanked them behind his back, making the Cuban yelp in shock. A piece of fabric bound his wrists, and Lance managed to see that it was the bandana that Keith had been wearing around his mouth when the five of them met in the desert. “You two are gross.” Keith rolled his eyes, twisting and turning to leave and go to bed. “Don’t say I never did anything for you two.”

            Shiro laughed nervously as Keith disappeared around the corner before turning to Lance. “Okay, so I wasn’t sure how to ask you without sounding creepy, but now that we know…” He trailed off, watching Lance’s ears turn the brightest shade of red he’d ever seen on a person, and he’d seen Keith get caught on a tree by his underwear when they were kids. “Would you be willing to go out with me?”

            Lance looked at Shiro as if he hung the moon himself, nodding dumbly. Shiro laughed, undid the ties on Lance’s wrists, and pulled him in for a soft and long overdue kiss.


	2. Hero/Villain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Lance.” Shiro’s voice was quiet in the ship, the only thing disrupting his words was the sound of the engine running. “Don’t do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAY TWO made me weak

            “Lance.” Shiro’s voice was quiet in the ship, the only thing disrupting his words was the sound of the engine running. “Don’t do this.”

            The paladin in question examined Shiro as if he were nothing but a passing bird, yellow eyes making it impossible to tell exactly what he was looking at. He had traded his armor in for something similar to Sendak’s signifying his rise to second in command. And instead of his bayard, he held a Galran Blaster, loosely held in his hand as if he knew that Shiro couldn’t bring himself to kill him if it really came down to it. They were standing in the entrance of the castle, everyone else out fighting the hordes of ships that suddenly appeared in the sky, raining down bullets and cannon blasts that shook the planet they were standing on.

            And they couldn’t form Voltron without Lance, who was kidnapped by the Galra on their last mission.

            It had eaten Shiro up inside, how one little mishap had Lance throwing himself in front of Shiro, blue eyes wide. _“I won’t let them get you again”_ His snarl had been fierce, and the determination on his face had made Shiro’s heart catch in his throat. _“I’ll hold them back. Get to your lion.”_

            And Shiro had listened, scrambled back into his cockpit and waited with baited breath for Lance to show up. His hands were tight on the controls and the bay hangar was open and waiting for the two of them to head back, to go into the castle and find each other with kisses and warm touches and-

            Lance bursted out of the door, bleeding heavily and gasping. His helmet was on and he _screamed_ into the communicator, **_“RUN.”_**

            Shiro had meant to reply, but when his lion moved without hesitation, grabbed the blue lion (that he could hear yelling for her pilot, roaring to go back and get him, to save him), and sped back. The influx of yelling he had received had been overwhelmed by the still on communicator that relayed Lance’s defiant yells, to his gasps of pain, to his silence.

            And then the communicator was turned off, and Lance was lost.

            Now, here Lance stands, pointing his blaster directly at Shiro’s scar, and there’s nothing Shiro feels short of absolutely _relieved_ that Lance is alive. Worried, because Lance has been hurt and broken and turned into this… _thing_ , but Lance is still Lance. All he had to do was gently bring him back.

            “Do you remember when I first met you?” His voice was quiet, and Lance didn’t seem to flinch. “At the Garrison? You accidentally tripped into me in the hallway, and we both fell to the floor. You looked at me with your huge, gorgeous blue eyes and said something about a Shojo Manga moment.”

            That got a twitch from the figure in front of him, so Shiro pressed on. “And then it was like we couldn’t really see outside of each other. I always noticed you in the hallways, hard to miss your pretty smile and warm personality. I would always wave to you, and you always waved back.

            “And when you rescued me from the Garrison facility?” Shiro found himself taking a step forward as he spoke, hesitant but seeing that Lance’s finger had removed itself from the trigger. “You were so gorgeous, so brave in those few flashes of moments I remember you standing on the Hoverbike. I had distantly remembered you surfed in Veradera beach, before you came to the Garrison. You missed it, and I distantly thought about maybe taking you to a beach as a gift for saving me.” He let out a dry laugh. “Unfortunately, Giant space cats happened. But I still want to, when we get back.” _When we defeat Zarkon_ was left unsaid, because he wasn’t sure how that would go down.

            “A…beach.” Lance’s voice was soft, and his eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. “A beach?”

            “White clouds, the blue ocean, garlic knots, your mother’s hugs, I remember _everything_ you said you wanted to see again.” He was so close, his hand almost on the blaster. “I want to experience all of those things with you, over and over and over again. All I ask you to do is _let_ me.”

            Another step, another step, and just when he had his hand on Lance’s, he finally spoke in a weak, cracked voice. “I was there… they had me for _so long_.” Shiro’s eyes flickered up to the quiet sound, and saw that Lance was shaking, his eyes swimming with tears. “They did _this_ to me, Shiro. They hurt me. A lot. Where were you guys? Why did you guys wait so long to try and find me?”

            Shiro’s face crumpled into agony as he surged up and into a hug, clutching Lance so tightly that it almost felt like he was trying to push each other together. “Oh, Lance.” He breathed into his now coarse hair, lack of shampoo and conditioner ruining the prized silkiness. “I wanted to come back as fast as I could. I almost did.” He could remember losing his head, Keith and Hunk having to restrain him from going back to Black, who was ready to beat the _fuck_ out of the people who took their _precious one_ from them. He wanted to make them _pay, make them hurt, beat them, kill them._

_Save Lance._

            A clatter was heard behind him and then two arms wrapped around him too, and shaky breath brushed against his ear as Lance finally, _finally_ clung to him, and the two stood there if only for a moment, getting used to each other’s touch again, as if it was the first time they were learning how to fit into each other. “I was scared.” Lance had whispered. “I was so, so _scared_ , Shiro.”

            “You’re back with me, you’re alive, and I love you. That’s all I care about.” He murmured, holding back the tears of relief because _he’s back Lance is back._ He mouthed soft little kisses across Lance’s forehead, hearing a weak laugh that sounded like wind-chimes on a spring day to his ears. “Do you think you’re up to helping us defeat the ships coming towards us?” He asked softly, and Lance tensed.

            “What if… what if blue doesn’t accept me?” Lance asked hoarsely, eyes widening as gold began to deteriorate back into his gorgeous blue. “What if I lost her? What if she doesn’t want me?”

            A roar shook the castle, and Shiro let out a warm laugh. “Somehow, I don’t think that’ll be an issue.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saw a lot of Evil Shiros so fuck it evil lance, though it's more like... misguided.


	3. Confidence/Insecurity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love day three the best so far

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance and his Ukulele and also appearing BEST GUY HUNK

            Sometimes Lance kept forgetting that not even Shiro was unbreakable. Sometimes he had these… moments. Not flashbacks, per say, but just… moments where he passed a mirror and stopped, slowly meeting his own eyes, his own face and figure. If they were around people, he wouldn’t dwell on it too much, but sometimes, when he was alone (or so he thought) he would carefully raise his left hand to his right, touching the seam of where flesh yielded to metal, and a look of such self-destructive agony would overcome his features, making his gaze drop and eyes burn.

            That, for Lance, was one of the worst things he’d had to witness. His hero, his friend and his boyfriend, change from a leader, a survivor, a hero, into a victim, a self-hating young man that so many of them often forgot he was. He shrunk in on himself in those moments, trying to make himself look smaller, as if to hide himself in the shame of his own self-loathing.

            And Lance absolutely would not have that. At all.

* * *

 

 

            “Where are you taking me?” Shiro asked Hunk, who had gripped his wrist tight after practice and was essentially dragging the taller man to the hangars where Black, blue and Yellow were residing. The biggest lions always got their own hangars, Allura had said, because they were just massive.

            “Don’t ask questions.” Hunk had said with a nervous tone, as if they were about to be jumped by someone or something, and Shiro immediately narrowed his eyes at the tone, but didn’t really do anything to stop the hulking man from taking him into the hangar. Immediately, there was a change in attitude as Shiro saw that the hangar doors were open, revealing galaxies after galaxies to the naked eye. His eyes had to adjust to the darkness of the hangar, as the only lights that seemed to be one were the lights that hovered above a large blanket spread out on the floor, Lance sitting on top of it. The real icing on the cake, however, was the makeshift Ukulele in the blue paladin’s grip. On the blanket as well was another masterpiece of Hunk’s design, the food smelling delicious. But that wasn’t the best part.

            Lance stood up, a crooked grin on his face, and began to _[sing.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wagS8pzyLY)_

_Isn’t this such a beautiful night? Oh,_

_We’re underneath a thousand shining stars_

_Isn’t it nice to find yourself somewhere different?_

_Why don’t you let yourself just be wherever you are?_

            Shiro hadn’t realized Hunk had disappeared until Lance started stepping closer, his body swaying to the music. The tone was a little bit off, but Shiro could still hear the song that both his moms knew and loved, that was the song they danced to on their wedding day. And Lance knew the entire thing by heart.

_Look at this place, look at your faces._

_I’ve never seen you look like this before_

_Isn’t it nice to find yourself somewhere different?_

_Why don’t you let yourself just be wherever you are?_

            Shiro hadn’t realized that he had become a little misty eyed until Lance kissed his nose between verses, nodding his head towards the blanket as he didn’t miss a beat, Shiro walking over and sitting down, taking in the view that they always seemed to have but never seemed to appreciate.

_Look at this place, look at your faces._

_They’re shining like a thousand shining stars_

_Isn’t it nice to find yourself somewhere different?_

_Why don’t you just let yourself just be wherever you are?_

_Why don’t you let yourself just be somewhere different, oh?_

Lance’s eyes connected with his and Shiro couldn’t breathe as a meteor shower began behind the blue paladin, lighting up the darkened hangar with such a beautiful hue that it seemed almost ethereal.

_Why don’t you let yourself just be whoever you are?_

Shiro didn’t want the song to end, but all good things had to. Lance seemed to fiddle with the instrument for a second before sitting next to Shiro, snuggled up to his left side and watching the meteors fly by with Shiro. “How is this even possible in space?” Shiro asked softly. “Don’t meteor showers happen because their proximity to the sun makes the icy outer shell of the comet melt away?”

            Lance hid his face in Shiro’s shoulder and grinned. “You are such a nerd, Shiro. I asked Coran if he was able to simulate a meteor shower within the particle barrier. You can’t see the barrier because the shower is being projected onto it.” A lithe arm wrapped around Shiro’s waist as Lance kissed his shoulder.

            “I-” Shiro couldn’t seem to find the words, so instead he just leaned over and kissed Lance softly, eyes shutting. Lance’s face routine was truly a thing to be in awe of, as his lips were always so soft. They pulled away, Lance’s eyes sparkling as Shiro finally found his voice. “Thank you. I didn’t realize how much I missed this.” He looked back up at the shower, a sense of nostalgia washing over him.

            “I know you miss a lot of things, Shiro.” Lance’s voice was quiet, serious, and Shiro looked back at him with surprise. Lance had crawled in front of him and gently took a hold of his right hand, making the black paladin tense as he pressed it to his copper cheek, eyes fluttering closed. “But to be honest? I’m glad we’re where we are now. Giant space cats, you, as you are now. If I had to do it all over again, I’d still have chased after Keith to get to you, I’d still be in this castle ship, with you, being able to be wherever I am, because I’m with you.” He pressed a kiss to the palm of the hand, and Shiro could swear he could almost feel it. “And I know you look at yourself and hate what you see, but I look at you, and my feelings for you haven’t changed. You are still my hero, and I still love you for who you are, Takashi.”

            Shiro took an inhalation of breath at the sound of his first name. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had called him by it, and as the realization dawned on him that he wouldn’t want anyone else to say it the way that Lance did, endearment and unconditional love shining in his eyes as he stared at him. He felt his right hand tingle, and for a moment, just for a moment, he let himself have this moment of peace, pulling Lance close and kissing him so softly that the meteor shower couldn’t shine nearly as bright at Lance Sanchez’s smile in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Shiro and Lance's personalities. They work so well.


	4. AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m not doing anything that anyone else with a crush wouldn’t do.” He laughed softly, scaling without a care in the world, as if a fall from that height would not mean his death.
> 
> “Um, I for one, would like to object.” Hunk practically shout-whispered at Lance, who winced at the feedback. “When me and Shay got together, I never broke into their place of work where, oh I don’t know, I’m wanted as a criminal? Just a thought??? Maybe???”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU DAY FEAT COP SHIRO AND THIEF LANCE

            “Lance, come on!” Hissed Hunk, eyes darting side to side as Lance leaped over the fence to the police station, lock picking bag slung over his shoulder. Mischievous blue eyes looked all around the building, looking up at the windows and letting his Cheshire grin spread across his face even wider. “Dude, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

            “You’re just too scared, Hunk.” Lance shot back, switching to his wireless Bluetooth headphones as he gracefully began to climb up the tall building, long limbs making the task almost too easy. It wasn’t like he was easy to spot either, dressed in dark blue hoodie and skinny jeans, the only thing bright about him being his eyes, and it was similar to trying to pinpoint a shadow on the wall. He swung himself up to a diagonal window a few stories up, hearing Hunk gasp into his headphones as he caught onto the ledge with only one hand. “I’m not doing anything that anyone else with a crush wouldn’t do.” He laughed softly, scaling without a care in the world, as if a fall from that height would not mean his death.

            “Um, I for one, would like to object.” Hunk practically shout-whispered at Lance, who winced at the feedback. “When me and Shay got together, I never _broke into their place of work_ where, oh I don’t know, _I’m wanted as a criminal?_ Just a thought??? Maybe???” He could hear Hunk chewing on his fingernails as he reached the top window, several floors above the unforgiving ground. From up here, it almost seemed like the light pollution that fogged Veradera beach was mostly gone, and Lance wistfully stared up at the stars for a moment before slinging his backpack around to his front, balancing precariously on the edge of the window.

            “I don’t think you’re that romantic, anyway.” Lance hummed as he spoke, rummaging through his bag. “I think if you did that she’d be pretty-” His sentence cut off as his foot slipped from the ledge as the window opened, and blue eyes met the silvery grey of Takashi Shirogane, who looked like he was ready to have a heart attack as Lance seemed to plummet. The only thing that kept the officer from yelling was the fact that there was a hand gripping the window ledge. “I’m okay! I’m okay!” He yelled up, seeing Shiro peek over the side of the ledge with a sort of dazed look in his eyes, his signature tuft of white hair dangling down towards the thief. Lance already had felt a flush spilling over his cheeks at the clumsy move he made, but he made an effort anyway, voice shifting from prepubescent to sultry. “Well _hello_ there. Am I at the right premises?”

            “Lance?!?” Shiro practically shouted, grabbing his wrist and helping Lance anchor himself before climbing into the office window, the private room absolutely cluttered with papers and half consumed coffee and snacks. Shiro had been there a while, apparently. “What the _hell_ are you- Why did you- You could have _died!_ ” Was Shiro’s final statement (question? Accusation? Lance didn’t know.) “Why didn’t you come in the front door like a normal human being?!?”

            Lance leaped over the sill and pulled down his hoodie, bright white teeth positively beaming at the young officer. “Because would you remember me coming in the door as memorable? Now whatcha doing here on a Friday night, Shiro? You could always have come out and seen me, let me take you to a good time.” He jabbed a thumb out of the window. “Hunk’s here too.”

            “HI, SHIRO!” Hunk’s voice screamed through his headpiece and he winced again at the extremely extra noise the large man seemed to exude on a daily basis. “Also, Lance, don’t think I didn’t see you fall! I’m not gonna be the person to tell your mum why you died!”

            “Aaaanyway.” Lance quickly plucked the headphones out of his ears, putting them in his pockets before wrapping his arms around Shiro’s neck, pulling them close enough to be chest to chest. “So, I’ve got a hot officer that looks _super_ delicious tonight right in my arms, and yet I can’t seem to convince him to go out to dinner with me?” He let a false pout fall over his features, enjoying the pinkness of Shiro’s cheeks as he looked away. “Come on, I don’t bite. Often.”

            Shiro seemed to consider it for a moment before his face fell. “Aren’t you on the wanted list? I’m not sure I’m allowed to fraternize with a wanted criminal.”

            “Um, _vigilante_.” Lance made a point to correct Shiro, raising an offended eyebrow. “I don’t steal things that weren’t already stolen, you know. I just return them to their owners. I take nothing for myself except the pride in my skills and the happiness of the people whose items are returned. So basically I’m doing your job for you.”

            Shiro let another warm huff of breath out, and Lance closed his eyes and hummed. “That is true, but I gotta say we can probably do that too. You know, legally? With a search warrant?”

            “How long does it take you to get those search warrants, officer?” Lance shot right back, and Shiro had to laugh because _yes,_ it was true. It took forever. “I do it quickly, efficiently, and the people who lost it gain it back. What’s wrong with that?” He fluttered his eyelashes and bit his cheek to hide his grin. “And besides, if you ever need me, you’ve got me. Be it to give you a reason for the search warrant, I can help you get your job done. All I ask…” Lance stretched up onto his tippy toes, their lips very close to touching. “…is that you go on a date with me?”

            It was phrased as a question, and Shiro could tell it was because if Shiro wanted to say no, he always could. Lance never threatened him or his job, and they were fine that way. He could always walk away.

            “Sounds like a good idea.” His answer seemed to surprise the… vigilante, as his eyes went wide, and Shiro had the irresistible urge to kiss his eyelids. So he did, watching them close with the affection. “Dinner sounds great.”

            The resounding laugh had Shiro’s heart speeding up, and when Lance wiped a tear from his eye from his fit made Shiro wanna do it all over again. Unfortunately, Lance moved to take his headphones from his pocket back into his ears. “You crack me up, hot officer.” He mumbled before speaking to Hunk over the line. “Hunk!” His eyes flickered over to Shiro, and the warmth of both of their cheeks could be blamed on the weather. “I’ll be having company tonight, you wanna go over to Shay’s house?”

            The _without a doubt_ heard quietly through the room was enough for Shiro to truly believe that this wasn’t heaven, but it was close enough.


	5. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first scar Lance gets while in the line of battle is a slight one, a blast scraping across the right part of his ear.

            The first scar Lance gets while in the line of battle is a slight one, a blast scraping across the right part of his ear. It’s his yell of pain that gets Shiro’s attention, and although he tries his best to smother the sound, Shiro is already on the Galran who fired at him, eyes blazing with a kind of fury that Lance had never seen on the blue paladin’s face before. It took Lance yelling Shiro’s name with such a high pitch to get him to stop, and when his eyes turned back to him, there was a look of fear on his face that Lance hadn’t expected to see.

            When he stepped out of the cryopod for a little healup, Shiro seemed to be daunted by the slightly brighter skin on Lance’s ear, human hand running over it with such tenderness Lance was almost… sad. What was Lance thinking?

            That night Shiro snuck quietly into Lance’s room, spooning him so carefully Lance almost felt like he was made out of paper, and that Shiro thought that one hard touch to his copper skin would make him disappear. “Shiro?” He whispered. “Is everything okay? You looked uneasy today.”

            The man behind him was quiet for a while before a gentle kiss pressed to his scarred ear. “I’m fine. I’m just tired.” Another kiss against his lower lobe, and Lance let out a soft sigh of contentedness. “I just want to be near you.”

            And for that night, Shiro had his wish.

* * *

 

 

            The second scar he got was far more dangerous, one of the druids trying to kidnap him and the quintessence in his hand. He was trying to sprint away to where his lion was waiting, and just as he got so close, Shiro’s voice shouting in his ear, a sharp pain sliced across his right thigh, making him cry out and collapse onto the ground. It hurt, it _hurt_ and Lance couldn’t move. The soft skin he had learned to take care of so meticulously was bleeding steadily, and dizziness was settling in as the Druid appeared in front of him, hand stretching out to grab either him or the quintessence, probably both. Shiro was shouting at him even louder and the whole ship seemed to rumble as a hand gripped onto his helmet, yanking it off before grabbing his face and trying to crush it. “Shir-”

            The ceiling caved in, and Lance could only watch in awe as the blue lion leaped to the side for the black lion to land harshly on the floor, Shiro practically launching himself from his lion’s mouth as soon as it hit the floor. The druid, startled by the lion dropping right above him, stood no chance as Shiro cut its head clean off in one smooth strike. Lance could only watch with wide eyes as Shiro seemed so, so cold if only for a moment. The year they’d been doing this seemed to strengthen him, but also ruin him. His steel was now unwavering, no matter the alien.

            And then he seemed to shake out of it, returning to normal, loveable, kind Shiro and racing over to Lance, who just remembered he was bleeding out. Right. That’s happening. “Shiro, what _was_ that?” He managed to wheeze out as Shiro rolled him onto his side, ripping the suit fabric to fully reveal the wound and when he heard the paladin hiss, Lance chuckled nervously. “Uh, Shiro?”

            “Lance.” Shiro said softly, pulling the quintessence from Lance’s grip and opening it, the pure gold liquid sloshing slightly in its container. “Hang on, it’s gonna be fine.”

            Lance realized what Shiro was about to do, and his eyes widened. “Shiro, no! We need the quintessence to be scanned and formulated! We can’t waste it on me!” But his words went unheeded as the gold liquid dripped into his wound, burning an icy cold temperature and making him gasp slightly. It was an odd sensation, feeling his skin stitch itself back together until it was almost like nothing was wrong at all. Well, almost nothing. In the place of the wound was a long, pale scar that stood out so starkly against his skin that he was silently thankful he didn’t bring any shorts with him on the Shiro escape plan. Speaking of, Shiro had thrown Lance over his back, and his eyes widened. “Shiro! Let me go! We need to get another!”

            “We can get another later.” Was Shiro’s curt reply as Lance was picked up by blue and Shiro by black, the lion seeming almost content with Shiro’s actions as Lance pouted in blue, who hummed comfortingly, but not enough to hide that she thought he was overreacting.

            That night Shiro snuck in again, eyes soft and words minimal as he asked permission, and Lance gave it. They were chest to chest now, Lance laying slightly under Shiro’s bicep, the taller man sleeping on his own. He could see his scars, even in the night, and Lance took the careful time to run his hand over the large x across his heart, as if someone had tried to rip it out.

            “You should be sleeping.” Came a warm voice, and Lance looked up to see Shiro smiling down at him, eyes crinkled at the edges. “You’ve had a busy day.”

            “And you’ve had a busy time hiding the truth from me, Shiro.” He hadn’t meant to sound as accusing as he did, but when Shiro stiffened at the sound, he knew that Shiro knew about it. “I need you to be honest with me, okay? What the _hell_ is going on?” There was a period of silence and Shiro was beginning to get on Lance’s nerves, and he opened his mouth. “Shiro. You better tell me or-”

            “My lion.” Shiro hid his face between Lance’s shoulderblades, his back burning with Shiro’s embarrassed flush. “Um. she noticed that we’re uh… a thing. And she constantly is telling me to protect my uh…” He swallowed audibly before getting out a sputtered, “To protect my mate.”

            Lance blinked. Once. Twice. “So… you’re saying that your Lion is basically pushing you through your bond to take care of me, like a pregnant mate.” Shiro’s groan made Lance laugh as arms around him squeezed tighter. “Your lion thinks we’re gonna have cubs. I’m never gonna let this go.”

            “She could smell us… you know, when we got called to duty after we, uh… Finished.” Lance’s cheeks flushed softly. “So. Yeah. Blue also knows apparently. And told the other lions.”

            “No.”

            “Lance, I didn’t have any way to stop her. I didn’t even know until today.”

            “But… I can’t get pregnant, right? Like. At all?”

            Both of them were silent for a moment, and after a soft pause, Shiro seemed to stiffen. “We need to talk to Coran immediately.”

            Lance’s yells echoed through the hallway.


	6. Singing/Fashion/Fusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Singer! Shiro

Lance could barely contain his excitement as he entered the stadium, sliding into front row seats with a sense of excitement only given to him by his one and only favourite singer: Takashi Shirogane.

            Now, it wasn’t to say that Lance didn’t like a lot of bands and singers. On the contrary, he couldn’t count all of the ones he adored with fingers, toes and a calculator. Music was the taste palette for the soul, and Lance would be damned if he didn’t try everything at least once. So he had music from all over the place: Trap music, classical, J-rock, K-pop, Country, Rock and roll, and this one genre especially, alternative rock.

            And that was when he learned about Takashi Shirogane, a veteran who lost his arm in war but found his voice, singing out his heart and soul in every note he sang. Lance had fallen in love so fast it was like seeing a shooting star fly by. Not to even mention, the man was _gorgeous_. Steely grey almond eyes, the shoulder to waist ratio of a dorito god himself created but saw it to be too delicious to eat, so he left it to tantalize Lance. He had the smile of a man who was in love with the world, despite the horrors it had shown him, and Lance got to see his warmth up close, for the very first time.

Well. Not for the very _first_ time.

Lance may not have mentioned this, but he and Shiro may or may not have been childhood friends. Shiro was the star quarterback when Lance was a sophomore, and Shiro had enlisted in the marines right after high school. Shiro promised to come back for him.

            Shiro never came back for him.

            Lance was hurt, betrayed, distressed until years later, _years_ later, Shiro’s parents contacted him. Told him what happened. Amnesia, lost a limb. Lance wept for days when they told him that any association with his past life seemed to make him hurt, and it was for the best.

            But Lance knew better. He needed to see him, one more time before he said goodbye forever. Time had been good to Shiro, and Lance was not afraid to admit that his love had grown the more he saw Shiro onstage, smiling brightly and beaming. One more time. One more time.

He had wanted to invite Pidge and Hunk, but both of them declined, telling him that they didn’t want to be around for his incessant drooling.

            He had snickered at that, thinking it was a preposterous idea, but when the lights began to dim, showing the stars above the small town of Stardew Valley, Lance had to swallow down his spit more than once. There weren’t a lot of people where he lived, but they always had an influx of visitors when they had the biggest stadium in the state. Even now Lance was crushed slightly by the amount of rabid fangirls in the audience, some of their nails trying to claw at him to get out of the way, snagging his tank top and shorts slightly. He couldn’t see another guy over the flaming masses of girls, and for a moment, he felt a little small. But then the crowd began to roar, and Lance looked up to see- _oh._

            There he was.

            Standing at six foot four was Takashi Shirogane, stress white hair slicked back and eyeliner so goddamn perfect it could poke someone’s eye out. He wasn’t dressed like a rock star, wearing a modest graphic tank top with low arm holes that left only a sliver of fabric at the bottom and some nice but worn jeans and black vans with white streaks on it. His sleeves were stylish, yes, different coloured robotic lions on his left arm and the symbol of a paladin on his right shoulder, but it was his eyes that betrayed his excitement to be onstage, twinkling with happiness to see all those people roaring, shouting, yelling for _him_.

            What a feeling that must be.

            Lance couldn’t really bring himself to scream out as he thought he would, but when he saw Shiro lift the microphone up to his lips, his voice soft but [oh so raspy.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xqIjqH27U)

            _A warning, to the people,_

_The good and the evil._

_This. Is. War._

He moved gracefully as he spoke, silver studs in his ear shining brightly as he pointed to people in the crowd

            _To the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim_

_This. Is. War._

_A warning, to the prophet,_

_The liar, the honest._

_This. Is. War._

Shiro threw back his head as he practically moaned into the microphone, and Lance suddenly couldn’t breathe at the raw sincerity.

            _To the leader, the pariah, the victor, the messiah._

_This. Is. WAR!_

            He paced towards the end of the stage, as if he were ready to jump off, but Lance couldn’t bring his hands up, couldn’t bring himself to try and catch this angel.

            _It’s the moment of truth, and the moment to lie._

_It’s the moment to live, and the moment to die._

_The moment to fight, the moment to fight._

_To fight. To fight. TO FIGHT!_

And it was like the stage exploded, and so did the fans as they sang along to the song that gripped them all. The people around him began to push and shove and soon he was beginning to be unable to breathe as the crowd around him began to close in.

            Oh. Claustrophobia. That was also a thing.

            Suddenly, when the pressure was beginning to be too much, the music came to a slower tempo, and Lance looked up to see Shiro looking at the crowd, almost as if he was looking right at him.

            Wait.

            He _was._ His hand was stretched out, and a look of concern was on his face as he continued to sing.

            _I’ve to believe in the light._

_Raise your hand towards the sky._

_The fight is done, the war is won._

_Lift your hands towards the sun._

            He reached out slowly, the metallic gleam of Shiro’s arm pulling him up and onto the stage, the roar of the crowd quieting.

            _Towards the sun_.

            Shiro’s eyes were wide, and Lance was so sure he stopped breathing as silver eyes focused on him so sharply Lance was ready to collapse on the spot.

            _Towards the sun_.

            Realization dawned on Shiro’s face, and Lance’s name was mouthed into the sudden chanting of the crowd watching.

            _Towards the sun._

            A metal hand rested on Lance’s waist, tugging him closer, and a (Familiar, wanted, _needed_ ) human hand rested on his cheek, pulling him oh so closer as the world around him was forgotten.

            _The war is won._

            And Shiro kissed him, and Lance saw _stars._

            Suddenly the world exploded into cheers and Shiro pulled away, microphone to his lips as he took a deep breath, eyes twinkling with memories as he began to sing once more.

            _TO THE RIGHT, TO THE LEFT_

_WE WILL FIGHT TO THE DEATH_

_TO THE EDGE OF THE EARTH_

_IT’S A BRAVE NEW WORLD FROM THE LAST TO THE FIRST_

_TO THE RIGHT, TO THE LEFT_

_WE WILL FIGHT TO THE DEATH_

_TO THE EDGE OF THE EARTH_

_IT’S A BRAVE NEW WORLD, IT’S A BRAVE NEW WORLD_

_A BRAVE NEW WORLD_

            And the world combusted again as Shiro sang his heart out next to Lance, hand gripping his hand so tightly he thought they would fuse together. The crowd was singing too, everything seemed so bright, so wonderful, and-

            Shiro turned to him, breathless as he sang out his last line. _A brave new world._ And when he held him close again, Lance couldn’t hold back his sob of happiness as he buried his head in the crook of Shiro’s neck.

            A brave new world, indeed.


	7. First Glance/Last touch.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby let's go out
> 
> With a b a n g

            Shiro couldn’t process what was happening. No. No way. The sight of three of the lions shattered into pieces in front of the hull of the ship, yellow green and red parts floating through the sky as if they were meteors in and of themselves. Black had deserted him, residing in Zarkon’s hull.

            And blue had shut down, never to wake up.

            Keith had tried to fight, tried to win, but when he was enveloped in an ion cannon, his scream echoing through their head pieces, that try was futile. Shiro could only watch as Pidge was detonated in space, and Hunk had sacrificed himself, throwing himself directly into the largest ship and self-destructing, his soft sounds of fear still echoing through Shiro’s head.

            Allura was gone, Coran still standing guard at where she had decided to finish the extermination of the royal family. His eyes were so hollow, and Shiro knew that nothing in the universe would move him from where he stood at the locked door.

            And all that was left, all that remained, was himself.

            “Shiro.”

            Himself, and the one person he’d failed the most.

            He turned around slowly, taking in Lance in his paladin armor. His eyes were red, and his shoulders were slumped forward as his head was bowed, staring at the floor. His right arm gripped his left tightly, and Shiro could hear the pain in his voice. “Shiro.” He croaked. “She won’t- She’s not responding. I think- I think she died when Allura did.” He took a deep shuddering breath as he looked up, and their eyes met for one unflinching second. “We can’t- We can’t do anything now.”

            Shiro watched Lance McClain, swathed in defeat and self-loathing, stand in front of him, bared to his core in what were probably his last moments of his life. And all Shiro knew to do was to hold him close, and to make him feel _loved_ and special in the precious moments they had left.

            So he gently took Lance’s hand in his own, pulling him close and resting a hand on his waist, gently starting to rock the two of them. And before Lance could begin to say something about their situation, how they never established what they had, what could be, he began to[ sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecYilbEAsJY) oh so softly into the shell of Lance’s ear.

            _I want to remember the shape of your lips_

_Because I wouldn’t miss breathing as much as your kiss._

_If the streets were on fire, well we’d never know._

_We’d be lost in each other instead of the smoke._

Lance’s eyes were so wide as Shiro rested his forehead against Lance’s, silver gaze unyielding in their intensity.

            _Baby, let’s go out with a bang._

_We could be the last love song ever sang._

            Shiro twirled him and soon they were ballroom dancing across the deck, the explosions outside of their ship so dulled in the wake of Shiro’s last declaration of love.

            _We’ll live forever, they’ll study our bones._

_Write stories about us, and carve us in stone_

_So they can remember what true love was like_

_But this isn’t about them; it’s just us tonight._

Their dancing slowed, and soon Lance’s shaking and shivering began to stop as Shiro kept holding him close, kept letting him absorb the warmth that oozed from every pore that The black paladin had.

            _Baby let’s go out with a bang._

_We could be the last love song ever sang._

            The dance soon became mutual as Shiro continued to rasp out the refrain, twirling and at one point dipping Lance towards the ground and hearing the blue paladin laugh was worth all of the pain he’d soon experience all over again.

            _Be here now, as the skies crash down_

_Watch the world fade away_

_Because what we found never comes around_

_Let it burn up in flames._

            He pulled Lance up to be chest to chest, hearing his breathless laugh as tears spilled down his cheeks, singing along to their song, to the one that bonded them together in this one single moment. Lance threw his arms around Shiro’s neck, and Shiro let one last kiss press against Lance’s as the glass of the hull exploded, and the two of them were pulled into the cold embrace of the universe around them, their grips still tight on each other’s bodies.

            And not even fate could pull them away.


	8. Altean Lance/ Dark Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro Wakes Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! I felt so bad about ending day seven like that, so I decided to make this one a sequel to the one before. I just love my happy endings. The song for this one is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ThQkrXHdh4

            Shiro awoke with a shuddering gasp, sitting up on the bed so fast that he nearly pushed Lance off the edge, grabbing his arm just in time to stop him from crashing onto the wooden floor. _Not exactly the best awakening_ Shiro thought to himself, breath still shuddering in and out of his body as he struggled to reassociate with the world around them. The sound of the ocean around them, the gentle summer breeze coming through the shack of their home in Veradera beach.

            The lack of Galran threat looming over their shoulders, both of them still alive. All of them still alive. He let out a sob as he curled around Lance, kissing the light blue marks under his eyes as he spooned the half Altean in his arms, burying his face in Lance’s back. The dream had felt so _real_ , almost as if he really had been ejected out into space with Lance, as if he really had died. But the groan Lance gave him as he rolled over, opening crystal blue eyes to smile at Shiro, _that_ was real.

            “Good morning, Takashi.” Lance spoke softly, an arm reaching out to touch Shiro’s cheek. “Did you sleep well?”

            Shiro let his eyes roam over copper skin and long limbs, over curly brown hair and brilliant white teeth. Over soft pink lips and dark violet hickies on his neck. Of the body language that screamed security and warmth, a home for Shiro to just bury his heart in and not have to worry about it being ripped out from under him.

            “Yeah.” His voice was soft as he nodded, rolling them over so he was on top of Lance, leaning down onto the giggling Altean to give him a full, sloppy kiss. “But I think I like being awake more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But I   
> Can't   
> Help  
> Falling in love   
> with  
> you

**Author's Note:**

> Shance fuckgin love


End file.
